The Magician - Mercury

The humble Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu suggested that the Universe communicated an underlying benevolent energy which he named Tao. Lao Tzu never looked for magic, spells or miracles in his attempt to explain the Universe; he relied only on the environment that surrounded him, or nature. The Tarot deck is surrounded by mystery, mysticism and some would say even magic, however it is my opinion that everything must be reconciled with Lao's humble energy force Tao. It is my belief that the Tarot can expose nothing more than what Lao discovered in his own humble world.

As an adult we soon discover that a magician is less about magic and more about technique, theatrics, or sleight of hand. Much of what we believe as a child eventually falls away to make way for more adult themes. It's ironic that only as an adult do we get to experience the true meaning of magic. The planet Mercury is responsible for communicating messages from the Father Sun to the inhabitants of earth. Mercury or the Magician issues males on earth an invitation from the Sun, an invitation to become like the Sun, a creator on earth, within that invitation lays the seeds of male initiation.

The High Priestess - Moon

Six hundred and thirteen is not only the symbolic number of seeds that are said to be found within a pomegranate, it is the exact same number of commandments found within the sacred Hebrew Torah. But the symbolism doesn't stop there; six hundred and thirteen is also the maximum number of eggs that a woman will produce during one lifetime.

It is no surprise that the phases of the moon and the woman's menstrual cycle correlate so closely, the typical twenty eight day menstrual cycle of a woman correlates with the exact same period of time between the synodic and sidereal months of the moon. The moon is to women, what Mercury is to men; an invitation to initiation.

The Empress - Venus

Upon her head sits twelve stars, one sovereign star will soon be given a chance to enter this world, and the child star will enter from one of the twelve constellations that the sun will shine in during the Zodiacal year. The illustrious Venus has played her vital role, the woman will soon become initiated in a way that no mystery school could ever teach; she is pregnant.

Pregnancy and child birth for most women is the most humbling and amazing experience that they will ever endure, humiliation is an essential ingredient to true initiation. Only upon motherhood does a girl become a woman, to expose yourself to your neighbour, to feel powerless as another human being wills its way into this world through your own body, child-birth and motherhood is women's initiation.

The Emperor - Aries - Mars

They say any virile man can make a baby, but it takes much more that that to make him a Father. A man's own future is determined by how he nurtures his own child; how he rules his own Kingdom. Most men will tell you that the birth of their first child was an amazing life changing experience, maybe even humbling, but not humbling enough to make them initiates at life, a man must be truly humbled like the woman in child birth before he can truly take his crown and be seated along side of the initiated woman.

The Hierophant - Taurus - Venus

Feminine or Venusian elements in the Tarot are traditionally represented by the colour blue, which makes this card particularly interesting. The Rider Waite Hierophant clearly represents a Pope. Taurus' body part is of course the neck and sure enough at the neck of the illustrated Pope we see the top of blue undergarments, this is truly symbolic of the disproportionate representation that Venus or the feminine has received by the Hierophant of the current age. The Hierophant's message for the last two thousand years has been simple and effective, perfect for the Age of Pisces; a sermon of Sin.

The Lovers - Gemini - Mercury

Although the Lovers or Twins card may have changed many times over the centuries, the story of Pollux and Castor has not; a story of two siblings, one divine one mortal, one sired by immortal Zeus, the other the lesser known mortal Tyndareus. An archer once floated above the Mercurial angel in this card, a clear reference to Jupiter or Zeus; the guardian planet or God of Sagittarius. The story being told is one of fatherhood, if a father learns the lessons of his first child, the mortal Castor, all his subsequent children will be nothing less than divine immortal Gods.

The Chariot - Cancer - Moon

Traditionally, Cancer is the height of summer representing the solstice, a time when spirit and motivation are at their highest. The initiate parent rides the chariot, experiencing all the individual elements of the starry canopy, the four elements of earth are now free for the taking, but how will you know when your Chariot has arrived?

When you've created a home that a Bull would be proud of, yet you could leave it as quickly as an Archer. When you learn to protect the ones you love like the Crab, yet can get out of their way as quickly as the Twin. When you learn to respect tradition as much as the Sea Goat; while embracing the new as quickly as the Water-bearer. When you can be led as a Fish, when you're not leading like a Lion. When you exhibit the balance and patience of a Libran, whilst still capable of being as mad as a Ram. And when you can methodically analyze your life like the Virgin, yet you are ready to leave it without a moments notice like the Scorpion, you have learnt the lessons of this world.

Strength - Leo - Sun

Traditionally in the Tarot, mountains are usually coloured red, and the sky blue, representing the great marriage between the two Egyptian deities Geb and Nut, but on the strength card, the mountain is unmistakably blue; the woman in this picture is none other than the mountain mother Goddess Cybele. Cybele shares similarities with other earth mothers like Virgo and Gaia, but her most intriguing connection is with the famous Mary and Jesus Christ. Christ was not the first son to die and be resurrected, Cybele's son Attis predated Christ by many years and followed a remarkably similar path as a resurrected deity. It's interesting to note that Cybele and Attis' were also commemorated during the same time that we now know as Easter.

The Hermit - Virgo - Mercury

To walk with God, is to walk in constant intercession with the messenger Mercury, to walk with God is to walk without shame, without sin; a virgin. We are told that Enoch walked the earth with God for three hundred years before ascending into heaven without death. It was the birth of his son Methuselah that allowed Enoch to take this walk, Enoch found something in his son's heart that opened his eyes to the way of the Lord. The only other man to ascend without death into God's Kingdom was Elijah, and it is no surprise that Elijah is expected to return with a message concerning the lessons of our children.

But before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes, I will send you the prophet Elijah. He will bring fathers and children together again; otherwise I would have to come and destroy your country.

Malachi

The Wheel of Fortune - Jupiter

No two days on earth can ever be the same; under the guidance of the four Royal Stars the wheel of fortune keeps on turning.

John the Beloved knew it too...

Follow the example of the running water, the wind as it blows, the rising and setting of the sun, the growing plants and trees, the beasts as they run and gambol, the wane and waxing of the moon, the stars as they come and go again; all these do move, and do perform their labors.

Justice - Libra - Venus

The home of Original Sin will not to be found in the old catacombs of Catholic or Protestant theology, the idea far outdates all current religious incarnations. When a deceased citizen was being prepared for burial in ancient Egypt, priests would prepare the body by removing all vital organs, all except one; the heart always remained in situ. The weighing of the heart was the most important tribulation of the afterlife for any wealthy deceased Egyptian; for a man to enter the afterlife successfully, his heart needed to be weighed against the weight of a feather. Egyptian Priests informed their well paid customers that there was no way a mere mortal could pass this vital stage; trickery alone was the only way man would pass the test; a glittering scarab was placed upon the heart of every man to fool the great Anubis and Original Sin was born.

There are two types of justice in this world; one is a perverse form of human justice, like the one that Egyptian Temple priests are remembered for, the other is God's justice or nature.

The Hanged Man - Neptune

The humble brother of the auspicious and adventurous Jupiter, Neptune must represent the Hanged Man. Crowley related this card to the Hebrew letter Mem, which means water. Neptune wasn't discovered until well into the 1800's, well after the estimated creation of the current cards for the Arcana Tarot. But for the very same reason that the Dogon People knew of Sirius B well before we did, we shouldn't presume that the great mystics weren't well informed as to the existence of our most outreaching planet.

As a creator initiate you have now driven the Chariot, you have seen everything that the world had to offer from within the comfort of your own heart, but now you will give it all up. To prepare for the next card, Death, you must be ready to walk away from everything, to let it all go, you are no longer of this world, the world seems upside down while you enjoy this final enlightened state. When Buddha reached a state of desirelessness, he was given two choices, he could either ascend as a master or remain on earth to teach others, needless to say he took the later path.

Death - Scorpio - Mars

Death liberates the soul, nobody understood this better than the American industrialist Henry Ford, not actually a Scorpion but with the mind of one.

When I discovered Reincarnation it was as if I had found a universal plan.
I realized that there was a chance to work out my ideas.
Time was no longer limited.
I was no longer a slave to the hands of a clock... I would like to communicate to others the calmness that the long view of life gives us.

Temperance - Sagittarius - Jupiter

Temperance is the human virtue for the law of nature. When man identifies the world's natural balance of yin yang; he finds Tao, he is then permitted to add this Te to his quiver. Balance and harmony knows no time, has no constraints, asks not for permission and takes exactly what it needs. Lao Tzu's Tao Te Ching offers a determined warning of what will happen when the world is pushed too far in one direction, when materialism, pomp and ceremony replace virtue and restraint; destruction is never far away. When the Jovian Sagittarian starts to decry the virtue of Temperance, know that change is coming. 

The Devil - Capricorn - Saturn

In the cold darkness of the traditional winter solstice we find The ‘Devil', who is merely a reference to Kronos, Chronos or Saturn, the father of Jupiter. Saturn represents many essential elements of the earth experience, time being a significant one. For those that do not appreciate the significance of the Death card, time will be the primary chain that bounds you to your earthly existence, time is the opposite of now, the essence of time is much more powerful than any Baphomet or Lucifer of Christian folklore, time is fear.

A man and woman that embrace the grand traditions of Saturn, starting and enjoying a family together, watching their children grow and learn under their guardianship are partaking in the essential element of life, those men and women that raise their children without reference to a chronographer...are sages worthy of all the ages.

The Tower - Mars

The advent of woman's rights in recent years has seen a steady influx of women finding themselves in the highest towers of power. It was inevitable that those women were going to find themselves leading their nations to war; which simply means that although these women in power may have children, they are most certainly not mothers. No woman that has ever given birth to a child, could ever walk that same child hand in hand to the battlefield, certainly no mother could anyway.

I find it truly remarkable how the pacifist known as Jesus Christ, words were so quickly turned into a banner for war. Most of the political towers in the western world excitedly praise Jesus Christ as the fundamental basis for their laws, sense of justice and human rights, yet remarkably they pray to the same God for continued superiority through an omnipresent war machine. It will be interesting to see how many more followers of Christ will die by the sword, as the Towers continue to demand their wars.

The Star - Aquarius - Uranus

It should come as no surprise that a woman symbolizes The Star Card, the card attributed to Aquarius and representative of the coming New Age. Shared only with Venus, Uranus exhibits a retrograde rotational motion, spinning in the opposite direction to all the other planets including the Sun. Many expect the New Age of Aquarius to see the earth spinning in an entirely new spiritual direction. Upon the traditional Egyptian themed card, placed within the eight pointed star is a double-triangle with the bottom half highlighted, a further sign that the final one thousand years of this Grand Age will be matriarchal in nature.

The Moon - Pisces - Neptune

Under the light of the moon, fairytales find their mark on both children and impressionable minds, neither science nor reason have any impact on the most entrenched fables within our society. Without the ancient Egyptian myth of Osiris, Isis, Set and Horus we would have no Fall, no sin and no religion. Osiris and Isis were always accepted as God's original divine beings, accordingly their children were set to receive their due inheritance; divinity. However for religion to succeed a break was required to separate Horus from his parents Osiris and Isis. The great myth suggests that Set or Sin interfered with Osiris, his body cut up into pieces and cast into the vast waters of the Nile. The story continues that each part of Osiris' body was retrieved except for his penis which was consumed by a fish. For the purposes of religion and the Fall of man, the break was complete, and all the subsequent children of Egypt have received their sullied inheritance since, well short of their divine entitlements.

The age of Pisces will be known as the age of sin, a fantasy peddled throughout the entire world. The farmer that relied on nothing more but the rising and setting of the sun was renamed a pagan, the mid-wife a witch; reason was replaced with fantasy, reality was replaced by mythological theology. Just as an adult relinquishes his or her belief in Santa and the Easter Bunny, he is welcome to reject the idea that he is an inherent sinner that needs to be saved from Original Sin, yet literally billions of grown men and women still believe in a fantastical Fall involving so many first men of mythology.

The Sun - The Sun

The Sun is situated after the Piscean Arcana Tarot Card The Moon because the Zodiacal Chart is complete, Pisces is the final Sign of the Zodiac, precipitating the Equinox or the start of the Zodiacal year. Every year at the beginning of the Zodiac the Sun situated on the two Piscean fish starts to ride the back of the mythical white horse Pegasus, this event marks the beginning of the Zodiacal cycle with the advent of Aries and traditionally Spring.

But this card symbolizes much more than Spring, this card is actually describing the final cycle of the Piscean Age, the dawning of the Age of Aquarius. We know this because the mystical Book of Revelation is describing the exact same event. After the Apocalypse of Revelation, we are told that we will enter a final one thousand years, where men and women will walk the earth as kings and queens with Christ, before the world is completely renewed again. The wall behind the characters on this card symbolizes the final one thousand years, where man and women under the glow of the Aquarian age will finally break down the wall or expose The Fall, the only thing that separates their own divine selves from their own creator images, or in our case, God. 

Judgement - Uranus

Uranus, the consort of Gaia, the Grandfather of Zeus, the father of Kronos, Uranus was responsible for giving Gaia or Earth her first children. It shall be the end of Uranus' short Aquarian Age that will bring an end of another Grand Age, who else but the retrograde giant could be capable of turning humanity on its head. Perhaps a mythical pole shift is on the cards. Many have said that the Sphinx, located in the northern hemisphere has symbolized the current Grand Age. In the coming Grand Age the earth can expect a similar symbol, but this time located in the Southern Hemisphere.

The World - Saturn

True time, not man's debilitating time is based on natural eternal cycles. The never-ending story continues; the eternal world renews ready for another cycle. The only question is which Element will follow Leo's fire? Will it be the Watery Scorpio's Antares, represented by Aquila the Eagle, or Air with Aquarius's lesser known fish of the Sky, Formalhaut or the Earthly benevolent Bull, Aldebaran. One of these Royal Stars will replace the current Royal Star Regulus of Leo.

The Fool - Earth

Welcome, strap yourself and enjoy the ride. And remember, thoughts are only pictures that we take with our mind that Fool us into thinking that we are actually in control.

Unlocking the Secrets of Revelation with the Zodiacal Chart

Every section of the Zodiacal chart tells a story, but could the complete Zodiacal chart be telling a specific story about the entire world and the future of its people. The Zodiacal chart includes four major divisions that form a perfect cross through the chart and are known as the summer and winter solstices and spring and autumn equinox'. The solstice signs are Cancer and Capricorn and the equinox signs are Aries and Libra and are also known as the Cardinal signs. In addition to the four major divisions are the four Royal Stars which in our skies stand at about 6 hours ‘right ascension' apart. Three of the four Royal Stars sit within the Zodiac signs Leo, Taurus and Scorpio and the remaining Royal Star sits at the foot of Aquarius at the mouth of the lesser known fish of the sky Pisces Austrinus. The four Royal Star symbols also reflect the fixed signs for the four elements of our world; fire, earth, water and air (Leo, Taurus, Scorpio and Aquarius). The above divisions leave four remaining signs of the Zodiac; Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius and Pisces, each play a preceding role at either the solstice or equinox junctures of the Zodiacal cross. The above divisions play pivotal roles in countless themes of the Zodiac, but could the combination of all these individual symbols be telling a much larger story, a story which is also told in the fabled Book of Revelation.

The ideas that I propose rely heavily on the four elements that are attributed to each of the symbols of the Zodiacal chart. Fire element is attributed to Aries, Leo and Sagittarius; Earth element is attributed to Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn; Air element is attributed to Gemini, Libra and Aquarius and finally Water element is attributed to Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. Symbolically the four elements provide consistent themes for each of the four groups, Fire provides the spark for life, Earth gets life in order, Air reflects on what has been done and Water delves below the surface into the unknown. In addition to the four elements of the world I also rely heavily on each of the planets that are attributed to each of the symbols. Examples of planets attributed to Zodiacal signs are Aries and Mars and Sagittarius and Jupiter. Some planets are attributed to two Zodiacal signs, for example Venus represents both Libra and Taurus. And due to the Zodiac being older than the discovery of some planets, some signs have traditional and modern rulers, for example, Pisces' traditional ruler is Jupiter, but with the discovery of Neptune in 1846, the later planet is now Pisces modern ruler. Finally each Zodiacal symbol is attributed to a human body part, for example Taurus relates to the neck, Leo to the heart and Scorpio to the sexual organs. With the help of all these Zodiac connections and attributions I hope to have proven the arcane connection between the Zodiacal chart and the mystical book of the apocalypse; The Revelation.

Legend

Zodiacal sign                Planet                           Element            Body-part

Aries                            Mars                            Fire                  Head

Taurus                          Venus                         Earth                Neck

Gemini                          Mercury                       Air                   Shoulder

Cancer                         Moon                           Water               Chest

Leo                              Sun                              Fire                  Heart

Virgo                            Mercury                       Earth                Stomach

Libra                            Venus                           Air                   Lower Back

Scorpio                        Mars/Pluto                   Water               Reproductive Organs

Sagittarius                    Jupiter                          Fire                Thighs

Capricorn                     Saturn                          Earth                Knees

Aquarius                       Saturn/Uranus               Air                   Ankles

Pisces                          Jupiter/Neptune            Water               Feet

Battle of the Solstices

The Sagittarius/Capricorn Solstice

Sagittarius

Sagittarius is a very auspicious symbol for a number of reasons, its ruling planet is Jupiter or in Greek mythology Zeus, Zeus is the enterprising son of Saturn or Cronus, a deity who seems to be stuck in the ‘old ways' of the world. Sagittarius is a fire sign and is represented by the legs on the human body. Sagittarians can make their home wherever they are because their home is in their own heart with their own ideas. Sagittarians can exhibit divinatory attributes and the shadow cast by this skill makes them especially susceptible to emotional ‘ups and downs'.

Those born on the Sagittarius-Capricorn cusp (December 19-24) according to the world famous The Secret Language of Birthdays, holds the image of the Prophet. No other prophet in the last one thousand years has had as much exposure as Nostradamus, born 24 December. Nostradamus' quizzical quatrains continue to entertain and frustrate the world as much as ever. His name is guaranteed to be summoned by the newspapers following any unexpected disaster, always in support of an ‘experts' own opinion. Sagittarius' symbol is a Centaur (half man/half horse), the man holds onto a bow and arrow.

Capricorn

Capricorn is guided by the planet Saturn, as stated above Saturn represents everything from the ‘old school' of thought; religion, patriarchal leadership etc. Capricorns enjoy being organised, sticking to the task at hand and getting things complete how thing have always been done, they are perhaps best described by the saying; ‘If it ain't broke...'. Capricorn is a symbol of perseverance. Capricorn's element is Earth, and nothing would make a Capricorn happier than to make a traditional home for their traditional family; a home and family that fatherly Cronus would be proud of. A Capricorn I (Dec 26-Jan 2) holds the image of Ruler, they are susceptible to tyrannical rule; ‘Chairman Mao' of China was born on December 26. Capricorn is much more than a goat, she be a sea monster with a head of a goat.

Sagittarius  - A Bow Without Arrows?

This solstice represents an age old battle between the enterprising son, Jupiter or Zeus and the old fatherly ways of Saturn or Cronus. The up-start travelling philosopher Sagittarius indeed has the goat of the Solstice sea monster. But there is much more to this fiery encounter than a mythological rivalry.

Sagittarius' element is fire and its respective human body part is said to be the thighs. Standing straight across the centre of the Zodiacal chart the Centaur is on top of another solstice combatant Gemini. Gemini is represented by two pillars and its element is air. On one side of Gemini sits Taurus, represented by the element Earth and on the other side sits Cancer a water sign. Sagittarius holds a bow, but what type of bow is it?

The following verse is found in Chapter 10 of the book of The Revelation:

Then I saw another mighty angel coming down out of heaven. He was wrapped in a cloud and had a rainbow round his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like pillars of fire. He had a small scroll open in his hand. He put his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land.

The verse above is describing Sagittarius standing right through the middle of the traditional Zodiacal chart. At the winter solstice (December 21) the sun is positioned right in the face of Sagittarius, in his hands is a bow that surrounds his head (a rainbow is also known as the ‘bow of the sky'). The cloud that is wrapped around Sagittarius represents the element Air (Gemini). His legs which are on fire (Sagittarius) create the symbol for Gemini; pillars. On either side of Gemini; his right foot sits in water, Cancer (Water element) and his left foot stands on land, Taurus (Earth element). This interpretation of Revelation is no secret either, if you look at the Trump card, Temperance from the ever-popular Rider Waite Tarot deck, you will find an Angel figure (possibly androgynous), with a sun sign on his forehead, his right foot in the water and his left foot on land. It is no coincidence that the Trump card Temperance is attributed to the Zodiacal symbol Sagittarius.

Capricorn - Two Horns Doth Not Make a Lamb

Capricorn is one of eight beasts or animal symbols of the Zodiacal chart; of those eight animal signs three are represented by Royal Stars, Capricorn is not one of them. As noted above, Capricorn is represented by a sea faring goat yet it is an earth sign, Capricorn's planet is Saturn. 

Then I saw another beast, which came up out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb's and it spoke like a dragon.

This calls for wisdom. Whoever is intelligent can out the meaning of the number of the beast, because the number stands for a man's name. Its number is 666.

Revelation 13

This verse is describing the Zodiacal symbol Capricorn; the beast of the Zodiacal chart that has two horns like a lamb. Capricorn's element is earth; the beast comes out of the earth. The reference to ‘666' is a reference to those that worship gods on a Saturday or the Sabbath. They worship the Zodiacal beast Capricorn on Saturdays; confirmed by the planet attributed to Capricorn; Saturn, Saturday is also named after the planet. The most well known religious group that continues to worship on the Sabbath are Jews, their nation's most recent incarnation formed in 1948 is represented by a stellated hexagon commonly known as the Star of David; a symbolic reference to the Old Testament patriarch King David. A stellated hexagon is formed with a six sided polygon with six vertices at its inner edges and another six vertices formed at its outer points. Its worth noting that recently a mysterious hexagon was photographed at the north polar vortex of Saturn, the image was discovered firstly by NASA' spacecraft Voyager 1 and was later photographed and confirmed by NASA and ESA's spacecraft Cassini in 2006.

Gemini - Cancer Solstice

Gemini

The twins of the sky are said to perform the dance of duality better than anyone else of the Zodiac and it may have something to do with the Greek mythology surrounding the major stars of the Gemini constellation; Pollux and Castor. Pollux's father is considered to be the immortal Zeus while Castor is said to be sired by the lesser regarded Tyndareus. Pollux being the son of Zeus was entitled to immortality while Castor's immortality had to be bargained for. Zeus immortalized the two by placing them side by side in the Gemini constellation, but forever Pollux would be known as an immortal being and Castor of the earth; the very essence of duality.

Gemini's are usually well informed individuals, this aspect is no doubt influenced by their shared planet Mercury, yet as custodians of the element Air, they are more likely to travel the world talking about what is going on with new friends rather than getting the information down into systems like the mercurial mother Virgo. Ruled by their arms and hands they have a firm grasp on the concept of duality, they don't see what all the fuss is about actually; they travel just above the earth's surface only for themselves ready to jump into any situation, but don't be surprised when they disappear just as quickly. Taurus-Gemini Cusp (May 22-24) image is Energy and the theme is no better represented than by the poet and singer Bob Dylan, a man who wrote, spoke and sang for a generation, only to leave his fans ‘high and dry' when he had found something else to put his vast energy into.

Gemini - Two Very Special Communicators, One Very Special Message

Nobody else is equipped for the job as Gemini; ready to travel, makes new friends easy, detached yet informed, plugged into a higher power; Gemini represents two people ready to tell the world something very important.

I was given a stick that looked like a measuring-rod, and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count those who are worshipping in the temple.

I will send my two witnesses dressed in sackcloth, and they will proclaim God's message during those 1,260 days.

When they finish proclaiming their message, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will fight against them,

People from all nations, tribes languages, and races will at the bodies for three and a half days and will not allow them be buried.

They will celebrate and send presents to each other, because those two prophets brought much suffering upon mankind.

This verse is describing the Zodiacal symbol Gemini, the narrator is not standing or sitting, the narrator is using his arms and hands to measure the temple and altar; Gemini's body part is arms and hands. The length of time that the prophecy takes is one thousand, two hundred and sixty days, or three and a half years. If you add three and a half years from the Gemini solstice, you end up right at the top of the other solstice in front of Capricorn, the beast of the abyss. The three and a half years has us exactly on the solstice or 21 December, if the solstice happens at say midday, then the bodies are raised again (three and a half days later) on December 25. The sending of presents to each other is the most famous present giving day in the world; Christmas. It is no surprise that the two witnesses of Revelation are described by the Zodiacal sign represented by two human beings.

Cancer

Cancer is the symbol of protectiveness, they have a tendency to nurture and protect those that they feel a bond or kinship with. Besides their instincts, Cancerians are also ruled by the moon; their emotions are constantly going through phases just like the wax and wane of the moon. As a custodian of the element Water, their search for the truth can be very emotional and many prefer to sit on the sea shore instead of diving deep into the unknown. Much like their solstice companion Capricorn, home and family are very important for Cancerians, in Cancer's case it is more the result of a dominant mother (Moon) rather than a dominant father (Saturn).

The image Gemini-Cancer Cusp is Magic (June 19-24), and to a world fascinated with celebrity and gossip nobody else has managed to cast a spell as wide and as effortlessly as the Solstice Prince himself, Prince William born 21 June. The young Gemini-Cancerian is destined to become the seventh crowned King of the United Kingdom since its foundation in 1801; his stellar behaviour throughout the years demonstrates just how serious he is about protecting the monarchy that he will one day lead.

Cancer - Much More Than a Crab

The most famous verses from the Book of Revelation can be found in Chapter thirteen; nothing stirs up the world of prophecy like the composite first beast of the apocalypse. The Revelation is usually the domain of Christian and Catholic ministries, yet their blanket refusal to entertain ‘occult' practices like astrology have prevented them from realizing the source of their own ancient mysteries.

Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea.

The beast looked like a leopard, with feet like a bear's feet and a mouth like a lion's mouth. The dragon gave the beast his own power, his throne, and his vast authority.

Revelation 13

With his tail he dragged a third of the stars out of the sky and threw them down to the earth.

And the dragon stood on the sea shore.

Revelation 12

The verses above describe the Zodiacal symbol Cancer, but you will need much more than a standard astrology chart to see it. Cancer represents the element Water and this beast indeed comes from out of the sea. Above the crab in the night sky, you will find three constellations known as the Lynx, Leo Minor and Ursa Major and above these three you will find the constellation Draco. The Lynx is a large cat which looks like a leopard, Ursa Major is a bear which provides the feet and Leo Minor is the smaller Lion of the sky representing the mouth. The only dragon in the night sky is found right above these three constellations; Draco the Dragon whose tail situated near the northern pole of the evening sky amazingly covers a third of the northern ascension.

Children of the Equinox

Virgo

With the advent of patriarchal rule in western society due mainly to the adoption of enduring Judaist themes from the Old Testament it is no surprise that the fair lady of the sky is resoundingly considered to be a Virgin. But one need only look as far back as Egyptian mythology to find some insightful information regarding perhaps the original lady of the sky. Images of Nut stretched out from one side of the world to the other paint a wonderful picture of Egypt's creation myths, but Egypt's outstretched woman is no virgin; because it is the act of her earthly partner Geb that completes the basis of what Egyptians considered to be the essential element of Earth's creation and continual evolution as a planet; a sacred union of male and female energies.

It is therefore no surprise that Virgo is married off with the element of Earth, in her hands she holds a sheaf of wheat; a classic representation of the earth's life giving fertility. Her planet is Mercury; the dutiful messenger of the father Sun. But the way that Virgo communicates her special messages from the Sun is much more careful and considered than her mercurial partner Gemini. Virgo I (Aug 26-Sept.2) epitomizes the analytical tendencies of the Virgin; known as System Builders, perhaps no other individual in modern history represents this attribute as succinctly as the ‘mother of all mothers' founder of the Missionaries of Charity; Mother Teresa born August 27.

Libra

Libra is one of two Zodiacal symbols ruled by the auspicious planet Venus. In the night skies Venus is literally revolutionary, refusing to spin in the direction that all the other planet do. It takes approximately two hundred and twenty five days for Venus to circumvent the Sun in its own special way. As the symbol of Love, Venus is everything that Mars isn't; feminine, diplomatic, harmonious and beautiful, yet it is the combination of both these planets that makes the world go around.

As an Air element sign Librans are more likely to search for their truth in artistic and imaginative ways; their actions are usually cooperative and objective in nature. One of the world's most beautiful, loving and creative artists collaborated with arguably the most successful musical groups ever formed; John Lennon was born on October 9. The Image for Libra II (Oct. 3-10) is Society, and frankly it is hard to imagine what society may have been like had we not had the amazing contributions of artists such as John Lennon

Virgo/Libra Equinox - Sun Dress of the Equinox

Virgo's position on the Zodiacal chart places her above Leo; one of the four Zodiacal symbols that holds a Royal Star. Above her lies the Equinox symbol Libra. Virgo lays on her side along the sun's ecliptic path, her whole body, from head to toe is washed with the sun's rays once a year. In her hands she carries a sheaf of wheat symbolizing the parallel themes of fertile women and the bountiful earth. The following passage from the Revelation seems to suggest that Virgo will be responsible for the birth of something very special; some would call it ‘a consciousness', others an actual child, whatever it may be, we can trust that Virgo will make no mistake with whatever God's mercurial message will be.

Then a great and mysterious sight appeared in the sky. There was a woman, whose dress was the sun and who had the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was soon to give birth, and the pains and suffering of childbirth made her cry out.

The Revelation Chapter 12

For two reasons it is a good time to reconsider the implications of the Old Testament again. My wife who is both Virgo and child bearer has the most fortunate story to tell regarding child birth, we have noticed that it is not a popular one, for every time that she tells her wonderful story of a quick and natural birth of our first child she endures countless retorts of horrendous stories of women ‘suffering' through their magical entitlement. My wife tells me that the current concepts of child birth are relatively new; being largely influenced by the patriarchal tones found in Genesis that contrary to many millennium worth of  matriarchal celebrations declared that child birth was a penalty for the original of original sins and women were deemed to suffering for all eternity.

The second and much more relevant consideration for these purposes is the number of stars upon the Crown, this is a clear reference to the original twelve tribes of Israel; the children of Jacob in the Old Testament. As far as the Old Testament (and some of the New Testament) is concerned these is nothing more Royal than Jacob's fourth son Judah; who was deemed to hold God's royal sceptre; Judah will forever be known as the Royal Lion of the Old Testament.

The verse above is describing Virgo, just as Nut in Egyptian mythology is outstretched over the entire world, this verse has Virgo stretched out over the entire Zodiacal chart; lying from one end to the other. Her head sits under the Royal Star Regulus in Leo, represented by the crown. Virgo's body lies over the rest of the symbols; her feet landing on Gemini (air); remembering that she comes out of the sky, which means that the symbol Cancer, the Zodiacal symbol attributed to the moon rests neatly under her feet. The sun on the woman's dress provides a very specific seasonal insight and maybe even a time frame for the birth of the mysterious child. The sun reaches the top of Virgo's dress approximately at the start of the Libran Equinox and it reaches the end of Virgo's dress approximately at the traditional end of Libra (Time period 22 September - 23 October), I suspect that this child or consciousness will embody Libran themes.

Pisces

Pisces is the final sign of the Zodiacal chart before we start again at the Ram of the Equinox. Being a Water element symbol Pisces is a chance to look into the pond of reflection to see what we have achieved over the preceding months. With the wisdom of hindsight and having ‘walked the walk' (body part feet) through the whole Zodiac, Pisces is spiritually evolved and the possessor of universal truths. Pisces traditional ruler is the auspicious Jupiter and modern ruler is self sacrificing and compassionate Neptune, brother of Zeus (Jupiter).

The Image for Pisces III (Mar 11-18) is said to be Dancers and Dreamers and perhaps the most famous dreamer of the twentieth century was Edgar Cayce, born March 18. Cayce' dream-like state allowed him to reach the deepest depths of the Piscean ocean of mystery; his divinatory power was famous all across the United States, his legacy can still be seen in the numerous Edgar Cayce Centers now established in over twenty five countries throughout the world.

Aries

Two Zodiacal symbols are represented by the Roman god of war, the other is Scorpio. The planet Mars doesn't discriminate between positive or negative aggression, it's all the same to the little red planet and all worthy of a fight. The Ram isn't helped by the fact that its attributed body part is the head. Aries is traditionally the first month of spring and is usually ready for action of any variety. An Aries that harnesses his or her vast energy will be catapulted straight into leadership, but as leaders it is hard for Aries to ignore their pioneering spirit which usually results in them ignoring all outside thoughts and ideas.

Arguably the most famous Pioneer (Aries III, Apr.11-18) in the world was Leonardo da Vinci, born April 15. It was his fascination with a young Lamb, Jesus Christ and his family that provided much of the inspiration for his most famous paintings. Leonardo da Vinci will probably go down in history as the most accomplished man to have walked the earth, only a few could ever dream of competing with him, unsurprisingly his best competition could come from the one who inspired him the most, who was not just a Lamb, but probably an Aries as well.

Pisces Aries Equinox - A Fish That Rides a White Horse

I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me "Don't do it!

Then I saw heaven open, and there was a white horse. Its rider was called Faithful and True; it is with justice that he judges and fights his battles.

His eyes were like flames of fire, and he wore many crowns on his head.

Then I saw an angel standing on the sun. He shouted in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair.

This verse is describing the Pisces/Aries Equinox; physically Pisces is attributed to the feet, in the verses they are symbolized with  ‘I fell at his feet to worship him, but he said to me "Don't do it!' Pisces is the binding element between the white horse of the sky Pegasus and Aries; Pisces rides the white horse as well as being positioned next to and perpendicular to Aries. The Ram is physically  represented by the head and its element is fire which is symbolized by the phrase, ‘His eyes were like a flame of fire'. The Pisces/Aries Equinox is sorrounded by two Royal Stars; Aldebaran of Taurus and Formalhaut of Pisces Austrinus (at the foot of Aqurius, hence the traditional spring equinox wears 'many crowns'. The Body of the angel that represents Pisces/Aries Equinox lays over the entire equinox just as the Virgo/Libra character does. The Head of the Angel is represented by the Aries half of the equinox (Aries - body part head) and the feet of the angel wraps around the entire Zodiacal chart finding its feet in the corrresponding equinox symbol; Pisces. Therefore the angel stands on top of the horse Pegasus; the sun on Pisces at the equinox (20 March) and the sun exits Pisces and alights the White Horse at the end of Aries approximately at 20 April.

Aquarius - Not Quite a Royal

No other sign in the Zodiacal chart is attracting as much attention as the man of the sky and water bearer Aquarius. There are a whole host of different groups preparing to usher in a new age characterized by the final Air sign Aquarius.  And who can blame them; Aquarians are known to possess universal wisdom and able to express it in a way that even a child could understand. Followers of the New Testament must be intrigued by Christ's (regularly symbolized by a fish) words concerning a man carrying a jar of water to a room prepared for the Passover (regularly falling within Aries). Aquarius is co-ruled by the planets Saturn and Uranus, which makes Aquarius perfect for ushering in a new order, whilst also keeping some of the old things that already work well.

Aquarius III (Feb. 8-15) image is Acceptance and nobody knew the power of the word as well as Abraham Lincoln, born February 12. It was his own words that declared that the Lincoln Greenback was accepted as good legal tender. When his words were subsequently supported by the highest court in the land, victory against the United Kingdom was assured. And with victory, so stood Lincoln's decision; the United States Note was not removed from circulation until the 1960's, approximately one hundred years after Lincoln's assassination.

Come and I will show you how the famous prostitute is to be punished, that great city that is built near many rivers.

Revelation 17

The verse above is describing the Zodiacal symbol Aquarius, the first and only man of the Zodiac. Aquarius is symbolized by a man pouring water from a pitcher, hence many rivers. Although Aquarius is considered to be a Royal in the Zodiac, the constellation does not in fact harbor the Royal Star Formalhaut. Formalhaut can be found in the constellation, Pisces Austrinus, the lesser known fish of the sky found at the base of Aquarius' left foot.

Aquarius shares significant symbolism with another first man of mythology, Egypt's Osiris. In Egypt both Osiris and Isis were considered to be God's divine children on earth, but in order for religion to prosper in Egypt, when Osiris and Isis gave birth to Horus a break needed to be demonstrated between the original children of Egypt and subsequent Egyptian generations. The original Egyptian myth suggests that sin or Set interfered with Isis and Osiris to create a break between man and God. The myth suggests that Osiris was cut into numerous pieces by Set or sin, before his penis was consumed by a fish swimming in the great Nile. Isis was forced to resort to magic to conceive the divine Horus, this was perhaps mythologies first immaculate conception, but more importantly it is the first evidence of a fall or a break...an essential element of all religion that relies on the premise of sin.

Interestingly it was sin that was also responsible for bringing down another first man of mythology; Reuben the first man of the new covenant in Genesis is said to have transgressed his father, losing his divine right as Jacob's first child, is it merely coincidence that Reuben is described as ‘Raging waters' during Jacob's final blessing in Genesis, or could there be a consistent theme being told regarding the first children of all mythology.

The Four Royal Stars

Scorpio

Scorpio is perhaps the most mysterious of all the star signs, it is generally considered to be as powerful as Leo yet with much more baggage. Many scholars of the Zodiac attribute Scorpio with two symbols, some even three. Each of Scorpio's characters can be found in the night skies above one another; firstly Scorpius; then on top of the scorpion you will find Ophiuchus, the snake handler and higher still is Aquila the eagle. We find our second Royal Stars (also a fixed sign) Antares, which sits right at the heart of the scorpion. In the darkest depths of this fixed Water sign we find concepts such as death, re-birth, resurrection and reincarnation. It is said that each scorpion at some point in their travels must abandon the defensive attributes of the scorpion and learn to fly as the eagle Aquila.

The second of only two composite signs of the Zodiacal chart; its inherent confusing elements were not helped by the ‘planet' Pluto being installed as its modern ruler only to be later demoted to a mere planetoid. Mars has stuck with Scorpio through thick and thin and remains its traditional ruler; a troublesome combination which leads to destructive consequences for those who remain on the lowest plane with the scorpion refusing to abandon their earth-centric point of view. Scorpio I (Oct. 26 - Nov. 2) is attributed to the image of intensity and historically no body flew higher as a scorpion than Christopher Columbus (October 30), discoverer of America; a nation rightly characterized with the outstretched wings of an eagle in full flight.

Scorpio (Antares) - Our Royal King of War

Scorpio will take the whole world to the battlefield without a second thought, they don't fear death, because they have no concept of it; the term death for scorpions is illusory at best. You can find salvation in the utopian themes of Venus or in the darkest depths of the war planet Mars, it makes no difference; the world's light will always find a place to shine even on the darkest of days.

Locusts came down out of the smoke upon the earth, and they were given the same kind of power that scorpions have.

The pain caused by the torture is like the pain caused by a scorpion's sting. During those five months they will seek death, but will not find it; they will want to die, but death with flee from them.

They have tails and stings like those of a scorpion, and it is with their tails that they have the power to hurt people for five months. They have a king ruling over them, who is the angel in charge of the abyss. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon; in Greek the name is Apollyon (meaning "The Destroyer").

Revelation 9

The verse above describes the reign of the Royal Star Antares, which literally means ‘before Ares' or before the son of Mars. Antares, found at the heart of the scorpion; reigns for five months before the Cardinal sign Aries (ruled by Mars) takes over with the advent of the equinox. The Royal Star Antares is unsurprisingly the King of the scorpion locusts of Revelation nine, these locusts are not your normal garden variety locusts (they do not harm the plants or the trees), they are very similar to Joel's locusts of the Old Testament, that ‘rattled like chariots and lined up like a great army ready for battle'. We are told that two hundred million souls will do battle during the reign of "The Destroyer". Since the discovery of oil in 1901, over one hundred and sixty million have taken up arms against each other in wars largely powered by what was discovered in the Loan Star state of Columbus' outstretched eagle nation. And it makes me wonder if there are still forty or so million more that are destined to take up the arms of war before the Ram of the equinox brings an end to Antares' destructive reign. 

Leo

Leo is the most powerful symbol of the Zodiac; only Scorpio comes close but due to Scorpio's composite nature, Leo and The Royal Star Regulus rule the Zodiac. Rightly so, Leo's body part is the heart, and the element of Fire always burns within. The heart or soul represents the immortality of the human soul; unlike the mind (represented by Aries) the heart never forgets past experiences, the final Fire sign permits us to continue the experience (sexual organs of Scorpio). In addition to being ruled by the heart, Leo is also ruled by the most significant ‘planet' of them all, the Sun. For a very long time the Sun was considered a mere neighbour of Earth, even belonging to earth. Since then a different more accurate galactic order has been devised, perhaps sometime in the near future the galactic order will be revised and we will finally see why the Lion of the Zodiac still rightly holds the Sun closest to its heart.

Madam Helena Blavatsky born August 12, knew that a person's soul was the very essence of the individual; furthermore she knew that the human soul would seek to express or manifest itself during that individual's life. The Image for Leo III (Aug. 11-18) is leadership; Madame Blavatsky was the heart and soul of the Theosophical Society that she helped form in 1875. Her ideas on theosophy and astrology are still respected throughout the esoteric community today.

Leo (Regulus) - Victory at the Equinox

The Lion from Judah's tribe, the great descendant of David, has won the victory, and he can break the seven seals and open the scroll.

The Lamb appeared to have been killed. It had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God that have been sent throughout the whole earth.

Revelation 5

This verse is describing much more than the Lion of the Zodiac; it is describing the victory of the Royal Star Regulus at the Aries Equinox. There are seven months between the home of Regulus and Aries, these months are represented by seven horns and seven eyes. They also form the seven bowls of God's anger that are released before the Lamb (Aries) returns for his bride. The Royal Star Regulus will soon take over from the Royal Star Antares, this changing of the guard will be complete after the earth is renewed; when we reach the Aries equinox.

Taurus

Taurus is the second symbol of the Zodiac ruled by the auspicious planet Venus, Libra is the first. Representing the element of Earth, Taurus looks at the world with rose coloured glasses. Taurus rules the neck and throat, and you could say does the talking for the mysteries feminine Venus. Taurean's have an innate understanding of how the spirit of God manifests in the world around them; it is no surprise that the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu chose to ride of all animals a bull when he decided to leave China . A good Taurus will find their salvation in nature; a bad Taurus will surround themselves with the false security of possessions. 

Karl Marx born May 5 had his own ideas about possessions; he is credited as the founder of communism. Marx's Manifesto taught (Teacher Taurus II May 3-10) the world a new way of looking at economies and government. A couple of years ago you could have been forgiven for believing that his ideas of communism had most certainly seen their best and last days. But as the world's financial system teeters on the brink of failure with banks getting ‘nationalized' by governments with taxpayer's money, perhaps its time to dust off the Manifesto to see just how close we are to Karl Marx's original vision.

Taurus (Aldebaran) - Residence of the Seven Sisters

Then one of the four living creatures gave the seven angels seven gold bowls full of the anger of God, who lives for ever and ever.

Then I saw in the sky another mysterious sight, great and amazing. There were seven angels with seven plagues.

Only one of the four living creatures (Lion, Bull, Human and Eagle) lays host to seven of anything. It is the Royal Star Aldebaran found at the eye of the constellation Taurus. The Pleiades is the most well known open star cluster of the night sky. It is clearly visible to the naked eye and is located on the shoulder of the Bull. The name Pleiades comes from Greek mythology, and originally described the seven daughters of Atlas. The great, amazing and mysterious seven angels in the sky are the seven daughters of the Pleiades in Taurus.

Formalhaut - Banking and Towers

Come and I will show you how the famous prostitute is to be punished, that great city that is built near many rivers.

Revelation 17

This is a description of the final Royal Star Formalhaut, unlike all the other Royal Stars Formalhaut sits above its designated Zodiacal symbol Aquarius; ‘many rivers'. The story of Babylon, Formalhaut is very complicated and not important for these purposes. What is important to know at this time is that it is the Royal Star Formalhaut that influences the city of Babylon. The city of Babylon has always been known as a great city of commerce and Babylon is home to ideas like modern banking and large towers. To understand the mystery of Babylon, you need to understand the original home of the current banking system, not the home of the largest current banking system, once you work that out, the rest should fall into place nicely.

Conclusion

The above verses demonstrate that the Book of Revelation is a prophecy told within the parameters of the Zodiacal chart. All other conclusions are up to you.